Europe’s new anti-money laundering watchdog has warned that crypto assets are its biggest challenge to stop dirty money infiltrating the region’s financial system.
Bruna Szego, chair of the EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority, told the Financial Times that the crypto market is a clear priority because it is “significantly exposed to money laundering and terrorism financing risks”.
Europe needed to be particularly on its guard against these risks, Szego said, because “our market is quite fragmented and many crypto assets service providers are looking to gain licences here” under the new pan-EU licensing framework launched at the start of this year.